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;
The Dorking Halls was built to house the Festival and opened in 1931;
'Song for a Spring Festival', written by RVW to celebrate the Festival's 50th year, may only be performed at the Festival;
RVW retired as Festival Conductor in 1953, but continued to conduct the St Matthew Passion until 1958;
Whilst living in Dorking, RVW composed works including Serenade to Music, Symphonies 4 - 7 and The Pilgrim's Progress;
RVW conducted the first combined choirs concert at the Festival on 10 May 1905;
The first competition day at the Festival exclusively for children was held in 1921;
In 1934 the BBC broadcast part of the Festival performance of Dream of Gerontius;
The first Festival performance of the St Matthew Passion in 1931 had 800 singers;

Leith Hill Musical Festival

Composition Competition 2017

Brief: Music: A piece to be scored for TBB voices and piano

The closing date for entry into our composition competition for a piece scored for TBB and piano has been reached.

The entries will now go to the judges for a decision about which pieces may receive a prize.

The composers have used verses from Shakespeare, the Bible, Emily Bronte, Maya Angelou and many other poets. Some have even written their own words. The subjects are both sacred and secular and the composers come from a wide age range with the youngest being just twenty. The judges will not have an easy job to find a winner from among these pieces.

Thank you to the composers who have shown an interest in the LHMF and entered this special competition. We wish you all well in the judging.

The results of the judging will be announced in September 2017.

For: Suitable for mixed-ability amateur singers

Duration: 3 - 4 minutes

Text: Composers may choose their own text, which may be

sacred or secular in content and which must be in English.

Prizes: There will be three prizes

1st Prize: £250 and performance in the LHMF

2nd Prize: £150

3rd Prize: £75

Composers: Should be UK resident.

There is no age restriction.

There is no entry fee.

Professional musicians connected with the Festival Choirs

are not eligible to enter.

Judges: Jonathan Willcocks, LHMF Festival Conductor and another member

of the Festival Music Committee.

Timetable: Entry is now closed

1st Sept 2017: Results will be announced/published

Notes: 1. The composer is responsible for obtaining permission to

use any text which is still in copyright.

2. Competition entries are to be submitted in conventional

written vocal score format. Please send two paper copies

and one pdf.

3. No audio files are required.

4. Entries will be judged anonymously.

5. More than one prize-winning entry may be performed in future

Festivals if the standard merits this.

6. LHMF reserves the right not to award specific prizes if the

Judges do not consider entries to merit them

7. Both newly written and pre-existing pieces will be accepted unless they have been commercially published.

Entries to be posted to LHMF Competition Administrator,

Cotswolds, Martineau Drive, Dorking, RH4 2PN

Pdfs to be emailed to barbarachristopher121@gmail.com

Other Musical Events

The Festival runs several social events each year and occasionally other musical events. Often, these events are mostly, but not exclusively, concerned with fundraising - see this page for more details of fundraising events.

Links to this and other future events will appear on this page as they are planned. Join our mailing list (see below) and you'll be one of the first to know.